Local accommodation
GoMio.com – Creating Tools for Travelers to Become Locals
I became CEO of GoMio.com approximately 14 months ago, and noticed immediately that our company was missing the most important aspect of travel – the transformative and impactful experience of interacting with locals. Indeed, GoMio does offer travelers the opportunity to find the best possible accommodations at hostels around the world, but I was not […]
Local Travel = Staying in apartments?
In the last 3 years since we started Spotted by Locals, I’ve been outside my hometown Amsterdam for about 14 months altogether. We (Sanne and myself) meet all our writers (“Spotters”) in Europe in person, so fortunately that requires a lot of traveling! When we did our first 3 month tour to 20 large Europe […]
Bringing responsible tourism to the hills of Darjeeling, India
Set against the jaw-droppingly gorgeous backdrop of the snow-covered Himalayas and surrounded by the phenomenal forests and streams of rural Darjeeling, India, the little village of Mineral Spring is a community knit together by strong cultural values that have made it a model of sustainable growth. Two of these values are commitments to traditional agriculture […]
Can anyone be a hotelier?
I just read an article about airbnb‘s iPhone app, which can tell you how much money you could be making by renting out your home. The writer ended with how cool it was that “anyone can become a hotelier”. Perhaps she was just romanticizing the whole thing and I shouldn’t imagine a future where all my […]
Go local at Gecko Villa in rural Northeast Thailand
What do visitors want from their holiday? In establishing Gecko Villa, one of our firm beliefs was that the appeal of packaged holidays in anodyne hotel rooms has utterly lost its lustre. Whilst each visitor will have his or her own preferences and expectations, we believe there exists an underlying desire in many to experience […]
Bringing local to a global audience in Darjeeling, India
I personally believe that there is a difference between a tourist and a traveler. On the one hand, a tourist visits a country, a monument and checks the box: India – check, UNESCO World Heritage Sites – check. On the other hand, a traveler seeks experiences. Yes there will always remain a bit of that […]
Developing an inspiring search engine for the Local Travel Movement
The Local Travel Movement More and more travellers desire extraordinary travel experiences off the beaten track. They want to immerse themselves in the local cultures and environments of the countries they visit. They want to get the real thing. There is a steadily growing Local Travel Movement that is promoted by various people and organizations […]
Six storybook guesthouses in the northern Albanian Alps: a photo essay
Local-minded travelers in Albania love to get deep into the heart of Albanian nature and culture. That is why they choose traditional, family-run guesthouses for visits to Theth and the northern Albanian Alps. These wood-shingled stone structures have long endured the harsh winter-weather conditions of the region and now exhibit a visual charm captured by […]
Anyone for a Lime&Tonic in Prague?
The WHL Group has this past week launched its latest online venture, called Lime&Tonic (L&T), an exciting new business in the service of independent travellers and locals alike. L&T is a fresh twist on the travel industry that is breaking new ground. It’s a GroupOn-style ‘collective-buying’ site with a TripAdvisor-style traveller-rated destination guide. See how […]
Agriturismo in Italy – a great local-travel alternative
If you want to experience Italy in a mindful way and stay true to the values of Local Travel by connecting with Italians and travelling in a way respectful of their environment, history, culture and economy, try staying in an agriturismo. Not only do you reap the benefits of knowing you have done your part […]